Tension mechanism for sewing-machines.



W. G. MEYER. TENSION MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1902. RENEWED 1530.9, 1904.

Patented June 25,1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Min 6 8666 W51 'il 0. MEYER. TENSION MECHANISM FOR SEWING MAGHINES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1902. RENEWED DEC. 9, 1904. 1,030,742.. Patented June 25, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

W. 0. MEYER. TENSION MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1902. RENEWED 10150.9, 1904.

1,030,742. Patented June 25; 1912.

s SHEETS-SHEET s.

Z 6 llllw i 1 M 7 W w w 3%? chusetts, have invented an Improvement in- Tension Mechanism for sewingMachmes,

-- upp y,

WILLIAM C. MEYER,

tinrrnn sra'rns PATENT OFFICE.

OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGIQTOR TOUNITED SHOE MACHINERY GOMIANY, F PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

roaoaia.

Application filed J'une 16, 1902, Serial To all whom it may comm:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. MEYER, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massaof which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to sewing machines and has for its object to improve and sim plify the construction of means for operating the tension-device for the needle-thread whereby avery hard tension may be applied to the needle-thread when the stitch is being set, which is of such a degree as to practically constitute a yielding locking-device for the needle-thread, and whereby said tension will be partially relieved when the needle-thread is being drawn from its supply, as for instancesvhen thepull-ofi" is operating to pull off a measured length of thread from the sn will be wholly relieved whenever desired, as for instance when the work is being drawn from the machine.

The invention herein shown is intended as an improvement upon the sewing machine shown in U. S. patent to French and Meyer #7 90,790, dated May 23, 1905, and is herein illustrated as applied to the sewing machine shown in said patent, yet the novel features thereof may be applied to other sewing machines and advantageously used.

Figure-1 shows in front elevation a sewing machine embodying this invention. Fig. 2. is a left hand side elevation of the sewing machine shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a longitudinal vertical section of the tension' device, its operating lever being broken off and represented in its several different positions. Fig. 4, is adetail of the means provided for operating the tension-device to wholly relieve the tension. Fig. 5, is a detail of'the armn shown in Fi 4c. Fig. 6, is a detail showing in front e evationthe means for Avholly relieving the tension. Figs. '7 and S are details of the actuating-device for the means. for operating the tensiondevice which is operated by the main shaft.

The main frame comprises essentially the upright or column A surmounted by a table A having erected thereon several vertical uprights A -which are constructed and arranged to afford bearings for the main shaft Specification of Letters Patent.

and furthermore whereby said ten- 'rnnsron MECHANISM ron sEwiNG-MAoHmEs.

Patented June 25, 1912.

No. 111,806. Renewed December 9, 1904. Serial No. 236,240.

B which has secured to it several operating cams and said uprights also aflord bearings for the rod or bar C and for the other oper-- ating parts of the machine.

a represents the wax pot. 4

5 represents the thrfiad-wheel ofjthe tension-device, it being s own as a' Wheel hav-- ing a grooved periphery and mounted to freely revolve on the bar I) projecting horizontally from the main frame. A friction" disk 5 see Fig. 3, is mounted to slide along on said bar I) and to bear. frictionally against one side or face of said thread-wheel. to thereby apply the required tension, and said friction disk comprises a circular end portion or face and a hub 20, which'lat-ter. is made long enough to give to the disk 9. good and suflicient bearing on the bar I). A spiral spring b surrounds the bar I). which bears at one end against the hub of the fIICtlOH' (l1Sk and at the opposite end against a small hand wheel 6 which is arranged on and in engagement With a threaded portion of the bar I) and by turning said hand wheel in one or the other direction the pressure exerted by said spring upon' the friction disk will be varied and the tension on the thread accordingly regulated.

A ring a is mounted to slide along on the hub 20 .of the friction disk and a spiral spring a, made considerably larger in diameter than the spiral spring 6 is placed outside of said spiral spring 12 which bears at one end against said ring a and at the other end against a ring a which is ad-' wheel 6 The spring a,'like the spring 12 exerts its pressure upon the friction :disk b and the pressure exerted by said spring a is regulated by adjustment of the ring d.-

The bar 6 is made hollow and receives within ita rod bathe inner end of which has a transverse hole through it through which is driven a pin 6 which is made long enough to project a short distance from the rod at each side, or in lieu of said pin the rod 6 may be provided with any form of laterally projecting pins or studs.

justably mounted on the hub of the hand Y Both" projecting ends of said pin I) pass through longitudinal slots 6 in the hollow bar 5 and also through longitudinal slots a in the hub of the frictionv disk f and enter holes in the ring a The ring a is thus rigidly connected to the pin and consequentlyto the rod 72 and by moving said rodb in the direction of its length said ring will be moved along on the hub of the friction disk and thereby caused to engage or disengage the end portion of said friction disk according to the direction of movement of the rod 6.

' Y When the rod b -is moved in the direction of the arrow thereon a short distance the ring a will be correspondingly moved away from the friction disk and the pressure of the spring a removed, but at such time the pressure of the spring 6 will be still exerted on the friction disk and as'a result the tension on the thread is partially but not wholly relieved, and when said rod 6 is moved farther in the direction of the arrow, the

i pin b will be moved along to the end of the slots in the hub of the friction disk, and

:will then engage said hub and move the friction disk away from or out of engage- Y ment with the thread-wheel and as a result the tension on the thread is wholly relieved.

7 It is designed and intended that the,

' springs b and a shall exert their combined sults are all accomplished by moving the rod b longitudinally more or less. As a means for moving said rod b longitudinally a cam-lever b is provided, having a bifurcated end, which straddles the prej ecting end of said rod' 1), and is pivotally connected thereto, the cam-portions b ofsaid lever bearing upon a washer or plate I; placed on the projecting end of said rod 6 and bearing against the end of-the bar b., so that as sa1d cam-lever b is turned on its pivot in one direction the rod 6 will be drawn from the hollow bar 6 and as said cam-lever is turned back into the position represented by full lines Fig. 3, said rod will be restored to its normal position.

The cam-lever b will be moved more or less as required to in turn move the rod 6 far enough to remove the ring a from its engagement with the friction-disk or further to also remove the friction-disk from its engagement with the thread-wheel. Thus different positions, as represented full and dotted lines Fi Thus when the cam lever occupies the full line position Fig. 3, a hard tension is applied, and when it occupies the first dotted line position, next the full line position, the tension is partially relieved, and when it occupies the second dotted line position the tension is wholly relieved. V

The cam lever normally occupies a posi tion in alinement with the rod b as shown in full lines Fig. 3, and is held in this position by the springs acting to-draw said rod 6 inward into'the hollow bar, and whenever said cam lever is moved to an abnormal position, as for instance into either of the dotted line positions shown inFig. 3, it. will be automatically restored to normal position when the force employed to move it is relieved. V

The cam-lever b is formed with a hand piece by which it may be operated by hand at any time desired.

To operate the tension-device automatically at predetermined times, as for instance to apply a hard tension when each stitch is being set and to partially relieve the tension while the needle-threadis being drawn from its supply or the next stitch, suitable means will be provided and for the purposes of illustration substantially the same means maybe employed as is employed in the patent heretofore referred to for operating the tension-device to relieve the tension on the needle-thread.

An arm 1) projects from a hub b" mounted on a bar I) stationarily supported by the frame and said arm I) has at its outer end an adjusting-screw or stud b roperly disposed to strike the cam-lever 8 when said arm is lifted or brought forward to thereby move said cam-lever from the full line position shown in Fig. 3, to the first dotted line position therein shown, thereby moving the ring a in a direction away from the friction-disk b and consequently partially relieving the tensionby removing the pressure of the spring-(1 An arm or lever b see dotted lines Fig. 2 projects rearwardly from said huh I) having a laterally projecting stud at its extremity, with or without a roll thereon, which enters a cam-groove, not shown, but formed inone side or face ofa cam-wheel or disk D, said cam-groove being formed in the right hand side or face of said disk. As the arm 5 ismoved by said cam-wheel or disk D- the hub b will be rocked and the arm 6 correspondingly 'moved to operate the cam-lever 6 I do not desire to limit my invention to the particular means herein shown for thus automatically operating the cam-lever b at predetermined times to sion.

0 represents pull-ofl' for the needlethread which operates in conjunction with the other parts to be described to draw' off of the thread supply a measured quantit or' length of needle-thread for the nextstitch. and as herein shown said pull-ofi" consists of a bell-crank lever pivoted at 0 to the frame having a roll 0 at the extremity of one of partially relieve the ten- 7 its arms over which the thread 2 passes and having the extremity of its other arm connected by a rod or bar 0 with a slotted arm projecting from a hub mounted on and adapted to move on the bar 0. To said hub a rearwardly projecting arm 0 is secured which has at its extremity a stud 0 with or without a roll thereon, whichienters a cam-, groove, not shown, formed in one side or face of the cam-wheel or disk D which is off by means of which the needle-thread may be held while the pull-oil is operating to draw off a measured quantity or length of thread. The thread-clamp is herein shown as a grooved roll 6 over. which the thread 2 passes, mounted'on a fixed stud e, and a thread-engaging finger e pivoted at e having its lower end constructed and'arranged to clamp the thre'ad2 in a groove formed in the periphery of said roll 6 and having its upper end connected by a rod or bar 6 with an arm 6 projecting from the hub which is mounted to oscillate on the bar 6?. The thread-engaging 'or locking finger e is operated simultaneously with the arm 6 which operates the cam-lever b The thread-clamp operates to clamp and .hold

the needle-thread while the pull-off c drawsv a measured length or quantity from the needle thread supply, but a pull-off and thread-clamp for the needle-thread whereby a measured quantityis or may be drawn from the thread supply, for the next stitch to be formed is shown in United States Pat- 'ent #412,703, dated" October 3d, 1889 and consequently is not broadly herein claimed,-

except as hereinafter stated.

Instead of operating the cam-lever b by manipulating the hand piece whenever it is desired to wholly relieve the tension, as for instance when withdrawing the work from themachine, I have herein provided means adapted to'be operated by turning the. driving-wheel or main shaft'backward to ,accomplish this result, which means will be restored by turning said wheel or sh ft in theo'p'posite direction, but such means, ow-

ever, is not connected with the cam lever, hence said lever is free to be operated by the means previously described or by hand.

' A'n' arm n loosely mountedon the stationarily supported bar' 12?, which projects therefrom toward the cam-lever b and has at its extremity a forward extension -n" which is adapted to abut against and thereby engage sald cam-lever b and move it "whenever the arm n is swung forward on the bar 6 A two faced collar-engaging arm a is looselyv connected to a rearward extension of on the arm a, so as to oscillate, and extends toward and is continuously held pressed into engagement with a collar 91F,

which is secured'to t-hefmain shaft B of the machine, thereby frictionahy engaging said collar. -A fiat spring a is attached at its uping-wheel by hand; and will be turned for ward in the regular running, of vthe machine;

The collar n is here shown as formed orprovided with a recess a see dotted lines Fig. 4.- The outer end 'of the arm n is formed or provided with two curved faces 11?, n either one of which is adapted to be brought into-concentric relation toand in frictional engagement with the collar 11 and with an intermediate projection or toot-h a between said curved friction surfaces, and at a point by the side of said projection, the end of the arm is cut away or recessed in order that said projection may protrude so as to enter the recess in the collar a, like unto the tooth of a gear.

As the collar n is turned backward, as for instance in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4, the recess formed therein will receive the projection n, and then acting-as if said projection was a tooth will move the arm n downward on its passes by said pro ection, and the curved engaging surface a is brought into concentric relation to and in frictional engagement with the collar, and thereafter further rotary movement of the collar nlin this diarm. When the collar n is turned in the op posite direction to the arrow shown in F ig 4, the recess n? will againbe brought into position to receive the projection n, and the arm n will tbemoved upward on its pivot and the collar-engaging surface a brought into concentric relation to and in engage ment with the collar and further rotary movement of the collar n in this direction will not act to further move said arm.

The arm n is made of such length and. the

.two curved engaging faces or friction surivot until said recess rectio-n will not act to further move said cupya position more nearly tan ential to the collar. This result is accomp ished by the drive-wheel or shaft will be turned in- I arm. Asthe arm-is moved on its pivot from- "one positlon to the other it will be moved the arm n on its pivot. I), it being understood that the spring n acts to always keep the arm n. in frictional engagement with the ated in opposite waysupon the initial movei'ncnt of the rotating member in both directfupon said disk and means for. operating one said cam-lever, substantially as described;

moving said pin, substantially {as described.

locatingthe two frictional surfaces n, a, i at different distances from the pivot of the lon itudinal-11v and thereb o erate to move h u y collar 12- When the engaging face a? is brought into engagement with the collar n the arm 12. will be moved sothat its xtension n will engage the cam lever b andrineve it into the second dotted line position sho in Fig. 3, in which position the tension r the needle: thread is wholly relieved, and when the engaging face n is brought into engagement with the collar 12 the arm n will be moved in the opposite and the cam lever b thereby permitted to return to the full line position shown in Fig. 3 and a'hard tension ap plied. Thus whenever it is desired to wholly relieve the tension the drive-wheel or shaft will be turned backward by hand, and wheneverit is desired to restore the tension the opposite way, either by hand or by starting the machine in the regular manner. The meanse for wholly relieving the tension is thus operated by hand, but under ordinary conditions will'be automatically restored.

It will beobserved that'the means for op" erating the tension device is positively actutions, or upon reversing therotation of the. rotating member in both directions. Claims: I

ii In a sewing machine,-a thread-wheel, a friction-disk bearing upon it, two concentrically disposed springs acting in the same direction to exert their combined pressures or both of said springs to respectively partially or wholly relieve the tension, substantially ,as described.

2. In a sewing machine, a thread-wheel, a friction-disk bearing upon it, two concentrically disposed springs acting in the same direction to exerttheir combined pressures upon said disk, a cam-lever and means oper ated 'by it for operating one orboth of said springs to respectively partially or whollyrelieve the tension, and means for operating 3 In a sewing machine, a thread-wheel, a. friction-disk adapted to bear upon it, a springwhich exerts itspressure upon said friction-disk, a ring adapted to engage said friction-disk, a sprlng which exerts its pres sure upon saidring, a pin passing through a slotin the hub of the triction diskwhich is connected Withsaid ring and nea'ns for 4. In a'sewinar machine, a thread-wheel. a

friction-disk adapted to bear upon it, a spring which exerts its pressure upon said friction-disk, a ring adapted to engage said friction-disk, a spring Wh1ch exerts its pressure upon said ring, a pin passing through a slot in the hub of the friction-disk which isconnected with said ring, a rod contained in the shaft bearing the thread-wheel to wvhich said pin is rigidly connected and means for moving said rod longitudinally, substantially as described.

In a sewing-machine, a thread-Wheel, a friction disk bearing upon it, two concentrically disposed springs acting in the same direction ;to exert their combined pressures upon said disk, an axially movable handwheel and a ring axially movable on said hand-wheel against which said springs bear respectively, and means movable in the same direction to operate one or both of said springs according to the distance moved to partially or wholly relieve the friction, substantially as described.

6. In asewing-machine, a tensiondevice, means for operating it, and an operatingdevice for said means, comprising an arm having a two-faced collar-engaging end por- .ition provided with an intermediate project1on. and a rotatable collar having a recess.

adapted to receive said projection and thereby move said arm to bring either one of its engaging-faces into concentric relation to the collar, substantially as described.

7. In a sewing-machine, a tension-devlce,

'means for operating it, and an operating-device for said means comprising an arm having a two-faced collar-engaging end portion provided with an intermediate projection, and a rotatable collar secured to the main shaft of the machine, having a recess adapted to receive said'projection and thereby move said arm to bring either one of its en} gaging-faces into'concentric relation to the collar, substantially as described.

' 8. In a sewing machine, a tension-device, means for operating it to relieve the tension on the thread comprising a cam-lever, a pivioted spring controlled arm, an armloosely connected to sand pivoted arm havmg a twofaced collar-engaging end-portion provided with an intermediate projection, and a rotatable collar having a recess adapted to receive-said projection and the'rebymove said arm'to bring either one of itsengaging faces into concentric relation to the collar, sub stantially as described. I

9. In, a sewing machine, a tension-device,

means [for operating it comprising a camleverand an operating fdevice therefor comprisin 'an'jarm having -a two-faced collar-- engag 11g end pdrtion provided with an inv termediate projectinn, and a' rotatable collar having-jafrepesmdapted to receivc said projection an'tiithereoy move said arm to bring-either dne of its engaging faces into concentric relation to the collar, substantially as descrlbed.

10. In a sewing machine, a tension device,

rotatable collar having a recess adapted to receive said projection and thereby move said arm to bring either one of its engaging face's into engagement with the collar, substantially as described.

12. In a sewing machine, a tension device, means for operating it, actuating-mechanism for said means comprising a pivoted member and an arm loosely connected to said member having two collar-engaging faces and an intermediate projection, and a rotatable collar having a recess adapted to receive. said projection and thereby move said arm to bring either one of its engag ing faces into engagement with the collar, and a spring for continuously holding said actuating-mechanism in engagement with said collar, substantially as described.

13. In a sewing machine, a tension device, means for operating it comprising a cam lever, a pivoted arm adapted to engage said cam lever, an arm loosely connected to said pivoted arm having two collar-engaging faces and an intermediate projection, a

rotatable collar having a recess adapted to receive said projection and thereby move said arm to bring either one of its engaging faces into engagement with the collar, substantially as described.

14. In a sewing machine, a tensionwlevice, means for operating it, including a lever having a toothed member connected with it and a rotating member having provision for engagement with and for positively operating the toothed member upon reversing either direction to release the tension upon backward rotation of said rotating member and to apply the tension upon the forward rotation thereof. I l

15. A tension releasing-device, having, in combination, a. rotating member, a tensionwheel, and connections between the rotatmg member and tension wheel consisting of -a positively operating device for releasing the tension upon reverse rotation of the rotatmg member and frictional means for the rotation of said rotating member in I throwing the positively operating device into operation.

16. A tension releasing-device, having, in

combination, a rotating member, a'tensionwheel, connections between the rotating member and the tension wheel for releasing the tension upon a reverse movement of the rotating member, comprising a positively acting device for releasing the tension, frictional means for throwing the positively acting device into operation and frictional means for throwing said positively acting device out of operation.

17. A tension releasing-device, having, in combination, a tension Wheel, a rotating member, connections between the tension wheel and the rotating member including an oscillatory member provided with two friction surfaces adapted to engage said rotating member and located at different distances from the pivot of said oscillating member so that each of said surfaces will hold the releasing connections inoperative.

18. A tension releasing device, having, in combination, a tension wheel, means for applying pressure thereto, a rotating member, connections between the rotating memher and the pressure applying means meluding an oscillatory member provided with a tooth and two frictional surfaces located upon opposite sides of said tooth at different distances from the center of motion of the oscillating member.

In testimony whereof, I have signedmy name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM C. MEYER.

Witnesses B. J. NoYns, H. B. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

